


Winn-ter Wonderland

by Peggystormborn



Series: Every Time...A Karamel Anthology [29]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 31st century, F/M, KaraMel, Karamel Secret Santa 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21780883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peggystormborn/pseuds/Peggystormborn
Summary: It's 31st century Christmas time at Legion Headquarters, and Winn takes it upon himself to make sure the Danvers-Zor-El children have the best Christmas ever.No matter what it takes...
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Mon-EL & Winn Schott Jr., Kara Danvers & Mon-El, Kara Danvers/Mon-El, Kara Zor-El/Mon-El
Series: Every Time...A Karamel Anthology [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1092399
Comments: 15
Kudos: 30





	Winn-ter Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SarahZorEL](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahZorEL/gifts).



> So I did a full-Karamel story last year, and this year I was inspired to do something that's focused on Winn and my eldest Karamel daughter. Kara and Mon are still in the mix tho!
> 
> For any newbies, in my parent work Kara and Mon spend ten years in the future and come back with 4 children.
> 
> Okay so this takes place while they're still in the 31st century of course. Allie is 4, Xander and Zora are 2, and John is still in the oven. 
> 
> Allie, being an alien, is slightly more advanced developmentally than your average four year old.

Winn-ter Wonderland

_That was the loudest whisper I've ever heard_ , Kara thinks, in retrospect, as she stands in a defensive pose--slightly crouching but with hands up in front of her, like some sort of disheveled ninja--atop her mattress. A pregnant ninja, just to add some extra comedy to the situation. 

"Wh... _what_?" she manages, heart still pounding from the fright of waking up to her pajamaed daughter's face two inches from her own. The shock of it had caused her not just to bolt upright, but to instinctively jump to a fighting position. "What did you…?" 

"I said 'Mommy, can I have a glass of water?'" the girl replies sweetly, seemingly unaware of the terrifying jolt her mother is still recovering from. 

Kara sighs heavily. "Oh…sure, baby." She steps down awkwardly off the bed, looking over at her husband, who flops over on his side, mumbling something in his sleep about Bizarro gingerbread people, but otherwise apparently undisturbed by their child's late night request. 

_Lucky him_ , she thinks. Until she reminds herself that his heavy slumber is probably the result of volunteering to stay up with their sleepless twins to allow her some second trimester shut-eye. 

So much for _that._

She takes Allie's hand and leads her to their quarters' dining area, where she grabs a glass from the dish rack and fills it under the tap. Theirs is the only space in Legion Headquarters that comes equipped with a proper 21st century-style kitchen, as everyone else simply uses the fabricator for food and drink. But they had a stove, refrigerator and sink installed to help them all feel more at home, and to give the children some semblance of what their life will be like when they return to their own time someday. Besides, Mon-El's cooking is light years better than what comes out of the fabricator. 

Just as the two blondes are sitting down at the kitchen table, she hears a knock at the door. Surprised and curious, she hauls herself up and waddles over to answer it. Though she already knows who it is, since her 21st century friend has never quite grown accustomed to the fact that knocking is no longer a thing in century 31.

"Hey!" Winn greets her as the doors slide open. "You okay?" 

"Uh...hi," she starts. "Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? And why aren't you in bed?"

"Well I was up, just, uh... _tinkering_ with some things, and I got a notification that your heart rate spiked."

"You're monitoring my heart rate?"

"Well, yeah. Your Legion ring has been sending me your vitals since the first time you got yourself knocked up, with this little lady over here." He grins broadly and indicates Allie, still sipping her water, who swallows and gives a toothy smile in response. "I know you're invincible and all, but your pregnancies are always high risk, so you better believe I am gonna keep watching you like a hawk. A holiday hawk, even. Remember? From that TV commercial you always thought was funny?" Upon her unimpressed glare he adds, "...not that you need a reminder, obviously."

Kara heaves another heavy sigh. "I'm fine, Winn. _Somebody_ here just startled me awake." She throws an accusatory glance at her progeny, who shrugs amiably as Uncle Winn, unprompted, comes in and takes a seat. 

Kara raises an eyebrow at his slight intrusion. "Uh…Winn? I was kind of planning on going back to bed in a minute, so…"

"Go ahead," he nods in her direction. "I'll take care of my favorite four-year-old. We're just gonna get hydrated real quick and then back off to dreamland, right?" he holds up his hand, which the youngster gleefully high-fives. 

"Are you sure?" Kara asks hesitantly. "I don't want to keep you awake."

"I told you, I was already up. And you need the rest a lot more than I do. In fact, how about I hang out with our little miss here for the day tomorrow, so you can take it easy? It's my turn as home school teacher, anyway. And Garth was gonna take the twins for their checkup in the medbay. So you and the hubs will have the whole day to yourselves. Call it an early Christmas present."

"Really? That...that would be amazing. If you're really sure."

"Of course I am. It takes a village, right?

"As villages go, we could do a lot worse, I suppose." She smiles affectionately, thanks Winn, kisses Allie atop her head, and pads somewhat ponderously back to her bedroom. 

"Okay, sweetie. How about we drain that cup, and I'll read you a story and tuck you back in?" Winn says to his young charge. 

Allie giggles and happily complies. 

As she settles back under her blankets a few minutes later, Winn pulls out his holo-tab and scrolls through the text files of stories he's compiled for his honorary nieces and nephews. 

"Ah! Here we go, one of my favorites for this time of year. It's called 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.'"

"What's a Reindeer?" Allie wonders. 

"It's a kind of deer that lives at the North Pole. Santa Claus uses them to pull his sleigh so he can fly all over the world and deliver toys to all the good little girls and boys."

"Santa flies? Like my Mom and Dad?"

"That's right, just like them. But in a sleigh."

"And the reindeer fly, too?"

"Exactly." 

"And they all live at the North Pole?"

"Yes, that's where Santa's workshop is. Where he and his elves make all the toys."

"But _I've_ never seen them."

"Seen what?"

"Reindeer. Or elves. Or Santa's workshop."

Winn raises an eyebrow slightly. "Well, right, because they're at the North Pole."

"The Fortress is at the North Pole, and Mommy and Daddy have taken me there a bunch of times. But I've never seen anything but snow nearby, not for miles and miles."

Winn freezes like a flying deer in headlights. _Oops,_ he thinks. _I may not have thought this through._

"Uh...that's because it's...invisible. Like when we cloak the Legion ship."

"Why?"

"Er...well, because...Santa has a secret identity, just like your parents used to, and he doesn't want people to find all the presents, you know, before Christmas…"

"But wouldn't there be _some_ evidence? The elves don't just stay cooped up inside all the time, do they? And what do they eat? Nothing grows nearby."

"Um…see, the thing is…"

"...Are Santa and the reindeer aliens, too?"

"Aliens? Why would…"

"...You said he can fly. And he must have super speed if he can fly all over the world in one night."

"Well, like I said, with the sleigh and all…"

"...And he must be really strong to carry millions of toys while he's flying,"

"Um…"

"...Plus the cold doesn't bother him, so he has to be invulnerable."

"I mean, not necessarily, he could…"

"...Why doesn't he visit?"

"Visit?"

"He must get lonely up there all the time by himself with just workers and deer. Why doesn't he come by and say hello when we're up there? I mean, if we're neighbors and all."

"Okay...how about this? Tomorrow, you and I are gonna play hooky from home school, and have a little adventure of our own."

"What adventure?"

"We're going to visit Santa."

"We _are_?!" Allie lights up like...well, like a Christmas Tree. 

"Yup. So how about you go to sleep, and in the morning, we'll pack up, head out, and see what's what, okay? We'll save Rudolph for tomorrow night." He collapses his holo-tab and puts it away. 

The child nods, snuggles up on her pillow, and her honorary Uncle kisses her forehead.

"Good night, my little elf on the shelf."

"What?" 

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Oh. Okay. Good night, Uncle Winn."

********

"You know I don't really need this big coat, right?" Allie grumbles, as they trudge through the snow at exactly 90° north latitude.

"I'm well aware, but I can't bring myself to schlep a little girl to the Arctic in just a cardigan. It's bad enough you're wearing wellies and legwarmers instead of snow boots."

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Nope."

"Then what are we doing?"

"Like you said, there's gotta be some evidence they're here somewhere, doesn't there?"

The child nods, excited. 

"Well, let's just look around, shall we?"

"It's pretty dark, though. How are we gonna find anything up here?"

"Well, I know there's no sunshine here this time of year, but the northern lights are doing their part, see?"

The child gazes upwards, smiling at the vivid greens and blues dancing above them against a backdrop of stars. 

"They're so pretty…" she marvels. "Like when we go to the outer rim and pass through all the nebulae."

"That they are. But Kelex can scan for what I'm trying to find." He points a thumb casually at their companion, recruited from his frozen crystalline home for their current mission. 

"Which is...what?" the child wonders. 

"Reindeer tracks," he says, as though it should have been obvious. 

Kelex interjects, trailing behind with as much indignance as his robotic persona can muster. 

"Legionnaire Schott, I have important matters to attend to at the Fortress. I am currently monitoring for neutrino disturbances in the Arcturus System, so I must return to…" 

"...Oh, come on, don't be a Grinch," Winn waves off the bot's concerns. "You can spare a few minutes to help us find Santa."

"...I am not programmed to…"

"...Just scan a one mile radius for footprints, will you please?"

The robot isn't technically capable of grumbling, but you'd hardly know it from his petulant demeanor. 

"Scanning," he finally acquiesces, before making his determination. "I have identified repetitive snow depressions exactly zero point three six miles from this location."

"Great! Lead the way, Santa's Little Helper."

"...I am not…"

"...I know, I know, you're not programmed, blah blah blah, please can we...can we just…" Winn sweeps his arms in front of him, hoping his mechanical friend will stop glaring with his single large artificial eye and play along. 

After a moment, Kelex relents and whirs off ahead, as the two humanoids trudge away after him.

"I see them!" Allie erupts in glee after a bit, and skips over to inspect the marks in the snow, leaving a chaotic trail in the powdery tundra behind her. Kelex, having completed his current mission, turns on his lack of heel without a word and zooms back toward his perpetually wintery residence.

"Are you sure they're from a reindeer? Not an abominable snowman, right?" Winn jibes.

Allie, being out of touch with 21st century culture doesn't quite catch the joke, and opts for her standard practice of ignoring the odd things Uncle Winn says sometimes. 

"Well, it's a quadruped, and a pretty big one at that. With hooves. But not as big as a moose, I think."

"Okay, well...let's follow them, then."

The child giggles and claps her hands, before reaching one bemittened appendage to grasp around Winn's fingers. Before long--thankfully for the human, who lacks his charge's superhuman stamina when it comes to running through knee-deep snow in subzero temperatures--they come across an unexpected find. 

Allie gasps when she picks it up. "Uncle Winn! Is...is this what I _think_ it is?" She holds the gold sphere to her ear, and sure enough, it emits a pleasant tinkling noise. 

Winn takes the object from her, inspecting and shaking it himself, just to be sure, before handing it back. "Yup, just like in the song. Jingle bells, jingle bells…"

She joins in, and they sing together as they continue their trek through the winter night. After another mile or so, she notices something. 

"Look…" she points to a spot just over the next ridge. "Do you see that?"

"What, honey?" he responds, as they approach the edge of the hill they stand on and look down into the flat-bottomed valley below. 

"It looks like…a reflection, or distortion, or something," she determines. 

It's true. The waxing and waning dance of the night sky seems to be echoed somehow, in a strange curvilinear shape against the horizon. As though a real life snow globe has sprung up from the frozen wilderness. An empty snow globe, by the looks of it. Just sitting there on the ice.

"Wanna look closer?" Winn says with bubbling excitement. 

"Yes please!" Allie erupts, already turning to skip off down the slope.

"Wait! I know a better way," the Legionnaire offers. "Check this out." He produces a small black circlet, something like a wristband, handing it over to the child. 

"What's this?" she wonders. 

"Some tech I've been working on. It's sort of a portable force field that opens up into a shield. But I think it'll do as a makeshift sled, in a pinch."

He presses a button and the thing opens like an umbrella without a handle, creating a faint pinkish orange glow that lights up their immediate surroundings. He puts it down in the snow, climbing in to sit cross-legged, and beckons Allie to plunk down in front. As the Daxatonian climbs in, he pushes forward against the surface with his hands, and off they go down the hill. The snow is packed fairly evenly, which enables them to pick up some real speed, flying with enough velocity that Winn might be concerned about their safety, were his young friend not invulnerable to injury and were he not wearing his Legion ring, which will activate his flight capability as a failsafe in the event of an accident. As the ground levels out into a plain, they continue skittering for some distance, their mode of transportation nearly frictionless against the ice. 

At last they slow to a halt, spinning a few times, only fifty yards or so from the source of their curiosity. 

They stare at it, this inverted fishbowl, this massive soap bubble, completely still and silent before them. 

"I don't think we'd be able to see it at all if it weren't for the Aurora Borealis," Winn notes at last, both shaking off their awe at the sight. 

"I guess this must be it, then," Allie says, rising from their sled and pacing forward the rest of the distance. 

"Let's not be too hasty," Winn cautions as he stands and follows her, collapsing their mode of transportation back down to its original form. "We don't know exactly _what_ this thing is." 

"Yeah, we do," she says, stopping a few feet from the shimmering edge, the shine of it matching her ear-to-ear smile. "Invisible, like you said. Like the Legion ship."

"Wait…" he stops her, reaching down to grab a handful of white powder from the ground in his hand. He underhands it until it crashes against the field, exploding into a sparkly poof and cascading its sandy crystalline dust back down along the surface of the barrier. 

"Definitely appears to be a cloaking field," he judges.

"You think it's solid all the way around?" she asks. 

"I don't know why it wouldn't be," he replies with a sigh. ”But I think I can modify our little sled here to interrupt the field and punch a door through the side for us."

"Uncle Winn?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe...maybe we shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what?"

"Barge in on him. Santa, I mean."

"No? I thought you had a million questions to ask him."

"I do. And I'd really love to see the elves and the deer. But...this is his home. If he's protecting it, it's for a reason."

"You think?" 

"Yeah... people have the right to keep things to themselves. Like my parents do. Did...or...will? I guess?" 

"Well, that's very mature of you."

"Thank you. Besides, Mommy always says 'Rao's light shines on those who keep faith.'"

"She _does_ say that, doesn't she?" Winn quirks a smile at the little lady. 

"...Can we go back to the Fortress? There's something I need to do."

"Oh?" Winn asks. "Yeah, okay. How about I fly us back, so I don't have to drag myself up that hill there?"

"Um...do we have to?"

"Oh, come on, you fly with your parents all the time."

"I know...it's just...ummm…"

"...You can say I'm a terrible flyer if you want."

Allie exhales dramatically. "I wouldn't say terrible. Just...we always...you know...crash land."

"Not _always_. Only like...eight or nine times. And you're indestructible! So what are you worried about?"

Allie just stares at him, unconvinced. 

"What?" he finally asks. 

"I...I like this coat!"

"The one you _just_ told me you don't even need? I'll fabricate you a new one, okay? Please tell me you haven't lost faith in my tailoring skills, at least."

"All right, fine. Flying it is." Allie flops her hands down, giving up the fight. 

"You won't regret it, sweetie, promise."

"If you say so."

Winn sighs, and hoists the girl into his arms. 

They manage to make it back to the front door of the fortress in one piece, thanks to a fortuitous belly landing into an especially soft snowdrift. 

"I meant to do that!" Winn groans as they emerge from the pile.

Allie climbs out of the crater, brushes herself off, and goes to retrieve the incredibly heavy key they keep near the door. Until she notices something. 

"Uh...Uncle Winn? What does a wreath look like?"

Winn is still preoccupied with righting himself and shaking all the snow out of his gloves. "A wreath? It's like a ring made of pine branches and other stuff, and there's usually a red bow on the bottom." He looks up at her. "Why?"

She points at the entrance, which is slightly ajar, and which currently sports a round band of greenery with the exact adornment he just described.

"Uh...okay…stay behind me, got it?" he says as he enters the structure first, her rolling her indestructible eyes at how silly adult humans can be. 

He draws his sidearm from under his heavy coat, Legion ring at the ready. 

"Ho, ho, ho! There you are!" a voice booms from inside. "I was getting worried that maybe a polar bear found you!"

Allie peeks from behind her Uncle, wide-eyed, as a bearded man in a red suit stands side by side with Kelex, who is now sporting a pointy red cap with white fur trim on his metal head. And looking none too thrilled about it.

Winn chuckles with apparent giddiness. "Uh...no, not as such. Are you...are you really…"

"You can call me Nicholas."

"As in...Saint?" Winn deadpans.

"That's right. I saw you two were, uh, in the neighborhood, let's say, and thought I would pop by to help you spruce the place up!"

Looking around, they now see twinkling lights, green garlands accentuated with sprigs of holly and red berries, not to mention stockings hung around the crystal console. Kelex stands among the finery, seemingly unimpressed. 

"Santa…did you _do_ all this?" Allie gasps. 

"Well, what are neighbors for, after all?" He chortles his signature belly laugh again, and Winn and Allie can't help but smile and laugh along. 

Finally, the man in red kneels before Allie. "Well, I can't stay long, lots of work to do this time of year, you know. But I wanted to ask if there's anything special you'd like for Christmas?"

"Well…" the child leans over and whispers in the big man's ear. He nods with understanding, as she withdraws, an ear-to-ear smile stretching across her face. 

"My, my…" the man says, with evident surprise. "That's certainly one I haven't heard before. But I'll...see what I can do. How does that sound?" 

"Thanks, Santa! Merry Christmas!" Allie squeals, and jumps into the old man's arms. The child, having invulnerability and all, doesn't notice how tightly those arms are clutching her. Nor is she aware of the single tear streaming down his rosy-cheeked face. 

"Merry Christmas, child…"

********

"Do you really think Kelex liked my present?" Allie wonders, as the doors to her family quarters whoosh open. 

"I've literally never heard him say 'Thank You' before, it was actually quite touching," Winn replies. "So I'd say that's a definitive yes."

"Present?" Mon-El asks as he enters from the nursery, twin on each hip, as Kara sets the table for dinner. "What present?"

"I made him a snow globe," Allie explains. "With a tiny Fortress made of some quartz I found, and little figurines of all of us in it. Our whole family. Even Clark and Lois and Aunt Alex. I used some old photos of them as a model."

"Oh, honey, that was thoughtful of you," Kara waddles over. "I bet he's never gotten a Christmas present before...which is saying something given he's over a thousand years old." She stops to ponder this, feeling a small pang of guilt at how little thought they've given to their dedicated robotic family servant over the years. Her thoughts drift, too, to her cousin and sister, and other friends who await them (so to speak) back in the 21st century. She mentally sends them best wishes for the holiday...even though she knows over a thousand December 25ths have already passed since the day she stepped through the portal into the future. 

They sit down to break bread together, enjoying rich spoonfuls of a hearty winter stew with noodles that her husband's prepared for the evening, as Allie recounts their day's adventure, complete with meeting the man in red himself. Kara and Mon-El listen patiently, occasionally raising their eyebrows and exchanging slightly confused looks with each other. 

At length, they put the children to bed, and the three adults (each, for various reasons, quite exhausted from their day) flop down on the couch, centered around a hologram of a yule log, burning brightly. 

"You really went above and beyond today, didn't you?" Mon-El praises his friend as he passes over a glass of wine. 

"Hey, I take my responsibility as designated 21st century representative very seriously."

"Uh...Winn, you do realize all three of us are from the same time, right?" the Daxamite says.

"Yeah, but, you know...you guys aren't from Earth. Or at least, not originally. You don't have the same kind of holiday memories."

"I had Christmas with Alex and Eliza and Jeremiah when I first got there," Kara corrects.

"I know, but I'm the only one who grew up with the whole 'believing in Santa, putting out milk and cookies, magic of Christmas' thing."

"I'm still not sure I understand why we have to lie to the children," Mon-El wonders, with mild concern. "I seem to recall personally learning the value of honesty the hard way." 

Kara snickers slightly at the remark, and then sighs. "I've always felt a little weird about that side of things, too," she nods along. "Maybe we should just...tell them the truth. I mean it's not like there are lots of other kids around and we have to keep up the ruse for their benefit."

Winn shakes his head. "No. No, you guys…I'm telling you. There's a reason why we...us, you know, humans do this. The stories we tell, the world we create for them when they're little. It's...it means something, to think there's someone out there whose sole purpose is to bring joy and light into the world. It's...such a scary place sometimes, especially when you're a kid, and…even after you get older, those memories, they stay with you. Keep you warm during the times when you…well, _you_ know." He looks away, sheepishly, and examines his wineglass before taking a long sip. 

Kara and Mon-El glance at each other with concern. 

"When did you...stop...believing?" Mon-El finally ventures, after a silence. 

"...I held on longer than most kids. After all, there was never any shortage of toys under that tree in the Schott household. It was a pretty big deal." He gulps noticeably. "But then, you know…then one year things...changed."

"...Who told you? That it wasn't real?" Kara asks softly. 

He shrugs as though she's just inquired about whether he prefers red or white. "No one." 

"I'm so sorry, Winn," Mon-El reaches over to grasp his friend's arm. "You really don't have to go to all this trouble, you know. If it's difficult for you."

Winn shakes his head more vigorously, shrugging off his melancholy, and smiles. "This is exactly WHY I go to all this trouble. And I don't just do it for Allie and the twins."

"...We know." Kara gazes at him with gratitude, as she and her husband both melt a little. 

"Honestly, Winn, sometimes I just don't know what we did to deserve you," Mon-El claps his friend on the shoulder, and can't help laughing (and apologizing) as his action forces the human to comically adjust the glass in his hand, wine nearly splashing over its rim from the jolt. 

"I suppose I can maybe think of one or two things," he snarks back. 

They sit silently for a while, watching the fake fire crackle and burn, imaginary smoke dissipating as it rises. 

"Hey," Winn finally says. "So what did you two end up doing with all your alone time today?"

Kara's eyes go wide, and she looks over at Mon-El, whose lips are pressed together, a clear attempt to stifle his laughter. 

"Uh...nothing...nothing _too_ exciting." Kara looks away, flustered. Her husband shoots her a slightly offended look, and she shrugs shyly. 

"You better be grading on a curve," the Daxamite mutters under his breath, and takes a swig from his glass. 

Winn looks back and forth between the two of them with playful suspicion. "So...had your _own_ jolly fun, did you?" he smiles knowingly. 

"Uh…" Kara starts. "Well…"

Winn stops her, shutting his eyes tight and raising his hands in front of him. " _P_ _lease_ don't elaborate…" 

********

Much to Kara's dismay, she found during all her gestations that her Kryptonian bladder unfortunately offers no protection from the bane of her big-bellied existence: late night pee breaks. 

Tonight's third natural wake-up call leaves her unable to return to slumber, so after tossing and turning for the better part of an hour she gives up and decides to throw on a robe and slippers and head down to the Legion's common room to get a cup of juice and perhaps read for a bit where she won't disturb anyone. 

Her plans don't quite work out. 

"Imra?" she says softly, which doesn't stop her from inadvertently startling her friend out of what appears to be an intense reverie, sitting on a corner banquette, staring out the window at the 31st century skyline of National City. 

"Oh!" the Saturnian exclaims, clutching her hand to her chest. "Kara…wasn't expecting anyone else at this hour."

"Sorry," Kara cringes, and approaches her friend. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No. You? Baby keeping you awake?"

"More or less. Are you all right?"

"Yes…" Imra nods gently. 

"That...doesn't sound too convincing."

"No, I, uh...had a wonderful day. I got to pretend to be Santa for Allie." 

"That was _you_?" Kara lights up. "I guess I should have figured Winn would recruit Allie's favorite auntie for the job."

"Yes, I mean I didn't fancy walking about in the cold making animal tracks, or setting up the force field in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, I don't... _really_ understand it all, it feels awfully ridiculous. Deer and jingly whatnots and decorating with bloody _socks_ , of all things. But...with a little help from an image inducer and a padded red suit, I got to have a rather fun time playing pretend with your daughter." 

Kara smiles broadly, but her grin falls as Imra turns back toward the window. Back to her former state of pensive distraction. 

"You don't look like you're having much fun just now," Kara ventures. "Something's bothering you."

The raven haired woman sighs. "Why do you have to _know_ me so well, Kara Zor-El?"

"Suppose it _is_ a bit unusual, given the circumstances. But you're stalling. Come on, out with it."

Imra tucks her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "You're...you're done having children after this one, aren't you?" 

Surprised at the turn of the conversation, Kara quirks her head to one side. "That...upsets you?"

"We beat Brainiac years ago. Our diplomatic efforts have been fruitful beyond what I could ever have dreamed, thanks to you."

"...Imra...I don't…"

"...You've been here with us nearly ten years, Kara. You've...long since done everything you came here to do. And now that your family's about to be complete…"

"...Oh." Kara deflates, taking a seat next to her friend and wrapping one arm around her back. She wants to say more, but no words come. 

"Allie asked me for something today," Imra continues, chewing on her thumbnail. "Or... well, not me, not really. She asked Santa."

"Asked him what?"

"...To take Uncle Winn home."

Kara balks, pulling back to look at her friend with shock. "She did?" 

"She said he deserves to get back to his life there. And she's right. He's given us so much. But he's never set down roots here. Why would he? He knows he's going to be leaving...eventually. Back to his time. His mother. His friends. His... _real_ life…"

"...And you know we'll all go together when we go."

"It's nearly time...isn't it?" she says, though it's not a question. The Saturnian gazes at Kara, who now sees the tears streaming down her friend's face. 

Words failing her, she simply nods. 

They sit there for a long while, side by side, heads together, watching as the sky begins to lighten. 

Finally, Imra pulls away, patting Kara on the shoulder. "Thank you," she says so quietly her voice might not have been audible to anyone else. 

"For what?" Kara wonders. 

"For letting me be part of your family. I think it's the greatest gift I've ever received."

Kara exhales, relieved at the other woman's somewhat uplifted mood. "Well…Merry Christmas, then."

********

Christmas morning is a flurry of activity, as the children come squealing down the hall to the common room, clapping their hands at the sight of full stockings and oodles of gifts under the tree, all wrapped in colorful paper. Xander stands awestruck at the sight of the empty cookie plate and glass of milk. 

"Santa come! Santa!" he and his twin sister clap their hands in glee, as Allie busies herself with examining tags and handing out items to everyone. One by one, droopy-eyed Legionnaires emerge from their respective living spaces, fetching coffee from the main kitchen and gathering around to watch the fun. 

And fun is in no short supply. To Kara and Mon-El's amazement (though not surprise), the children unwrap Slinkys and packs of Legos, stuffed animals and dolls and story books (quite the novelty to their 31st Century compatriots), all in perfect condition as though they've just been brought home from a department store. She even sees a few denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood. 

"WINNie the Pooh?" she elbows her old buddy. "Isn't that a little on-the-nose?" She chuckles approvingly and boops his schnoz as they watch Mon-El, still clad in pajama bottoms and a tee shirt, make a feeble attempt at keeping the wrapping paper carnage contained. 

"What?" he shrugs. "It's a classic. Just like me." 

"I can't _believe_ you did all this," she says while the children are distracted. "This is what you've been up late every night tinkering with?"

"Yup."

"I hope...I hope that wasn't too...weird for you."

"Why, because of my Dad? Nah. He...he doesn't get to take _this_ of all things away from me. Your little guy and gals, and...you know, guy on the way, they _deserve_ this. The chance to be kids, have that...that special kind of joy that comes from this day. I'm long past letting my father sabotage my life, and I'm certainly not about to let his...ghost or whatever mess _this_ up."

She shakes her head, overwhelmed. "Well, Winn Schott...you're my hero." She leans over and kisses him on the cheek, before moving to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I have my moments, don't I?" he smiles back, wrapping one arm around her.

"More than a few." 

********

They get lucky, and no intergalactic incidents occur that day that might pull them away from their holiday together. The children have a wonderful time showing off their new trinkets, and everyone gathers around their large meeting table for a feast. A few Legionnaires even try their hand at cooking from scratch, with...mixed results. Afterwards, Winn puts on a movie marathon he's managed to rig up on the large holo-screen. 

Hours later, somewhere in the middle of Miracle on 34th Street, the children begin to nod off, so Kara and Mon-El drag them off the couch and haul them to bed. After a round of hugs and kisses and Merry Christmases from everyone, of course.

The twins go down first, happily dozing cuddled up with their new plush dolls after all the excitement of the day. Allie, however, requires some extra stories at tuck-in time in order to wind down.

"Mommy?" she asks as Kara moves to turn out the light. 

"What is it, baby?"

"I know it was Auntie Imra. At the Fortress."

"You do?" Mon-El says with shock, as he places her new books on the shelf. 

"Yeah. It was nice of her to pretend for me, though."

"How could you tell?" Kara wonders. 

"When I hugged her I could smell that stuff she puts in her hair."

"Oh." Mon-El exhales with obvious worry, and he sits on the bed, eyebrows furrowed, exchanging glances with his wife. "Honey, I'm sorry about all the pretending. Everyone just thought it would be fun for you to meet Santa."

"But I already _know_ Santa," the child shrugs. 

"What do you mean?" Kara wonders. 

"I figured it out. Santa's secret identity."

"Secret identity?" Mon-El asks. 

"Yeah. It's Uncle Winn," Allie replies nonchalantly. 

"Wait…" Kara starts. "You think Winn is _Santa_ _Claus_?"

The Daxatonian rolls her eyes slightly. "Of _course_ he is, Mommy. It's obvious. He can fly, and he made all those toys for us. And look how hard he worked to make sure we all had a wonderful Christmas. Besides, who else is smart enough to figure out how to go all around the world with a huge bag of toys in one night? It's _got_ to be him."

"Maybe you're right, pumpkin," Mon-El says lovingly as Kara smiles and pulls the blanket up to Allie's chin. 

"I'd still like to see a real reindeer sometime," the child says as she closes her eyes. "They deserve _lots_ of treats for keeping Uncle Winn from crashing on top of every house." 

"That's...fair…" Mon-El chortles as he and Kara kiss their eldest goodnight and head back to the living room.

As they sit down on the couch, Kara puts her feet up on Mon-El's lap, as he instinctively takes off her slippers and begins to rub her achy soles. 

"Ooh…thank Rao I have a husband with super strong hands…" she coos. "Thank you, love."

"Least I can do, considering you're the one doing all the work of making me another son."

"You know...I was thinking...I know we talked about naming him after J'onn, but…what do you think about Winslow as a middle name?" 

He looks up at her, delighted, and leans over to give her a quick peck on the lips. "It's perfect."

Kara sighs, happy, before it occurs to her...the other thing she needs to speak to him about. 

"Are you okay?" he asks, reading the change in her expression.

"...Yeah," she finally says, mustering another smile, and trying to ignore the thought that's been swirling in her head. 

_This is our last Christmas here…_

It takes some effort for her swallow down the lump in her throat, and she takes a deep breath to stave off the tears that threaten to well in her eyes. 

_But it's not time yet. Not yet. We don't need to have this conversation tonight._

_Soon...but not tonight._

"Everything's wonderful, Mon-El. Merry Christmas." 

He snuggles up and puts his arms around her, as she cozies into his chest. "Merry Christmas, Kara."

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Slightly more angst in there than I anticipated. But hope everyone enjoyed it!
> 
> Happy holidays all! 
> 
> Btw I'm aware my descriptions of polar topography don't quite line up with reality. But it's fiction. And it's the future. So whatever.
> 
> Oh and the being startled into a ninja pose by your child in the middle of the night is a real thing. It has happened to me. It is terrifying.


End file.
